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Due to a lapse in appropriations, the Federal Judicial Center (Center) has ceased all non-excepted activities until funding is restored.

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Federal Tort Claims Act

August 2, 1946

In 1946, Congress for the first time made the United States liable for damages to property, personal injury, or death caused by the negligence or wrongful act of a federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. The statute gave the U.S. district courts exclusive jurisdiction over actions for damages brought pursuant to the act.

View the timeline: The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts